Is compass calibration necessary?

[Blue Sky Flyovers]

I have done the calibration every time I fly. But I was testing out gopro settings and didn't do the calibration and it flew fine. I am trying to speed up the process, as it takes a while to do the calibration. Between the calibration and finding sat's, it's a 5-8 minute process...

I did just make a mod and put a piece of plastic between the antenna and the copper foil. It is supposed to lessen the time it takes to locate sat's. I'll let you know how that goes later.

 

[Ian [P13]]

You never need to compass calibrate a Solo unless it asks you. That's a DJI thing, mainly as they've only ever had one compass.

 

[Blue Sky Flyovers]

The mod worked. Got 9 sat's in under 2 min.

 

[Blue Sky Flyovers]

You never need to compass calibrate a Solo unless it asks you. That's a DJI thing, mainly as they've only ever had one compass.

Thanks. Yes, I have phantoms...

 

[Jubalr]

I have done the calibration every time I fly. But I was testing out gopro settings and didn't do the calibration and it flew fine. I am trying to speed up the process, as it takes a while to do the calibration. Between the calibration and finding sat's, it's a 5-8 minute process...

I did just make a mod and put a piece of plastic between the antenna and the copper foil. It is supposed to lessen the time it takes to locate sat's. I'll let you know how that goes later.

I have had my Solo since first shipment last summer and have never done a compass calibration. Even when travelling for hours between flights.

 

[Chuck]

My Solo rarely asks for a compass calibration, but there have been times where on calm days my bird drifts quite a bit(2-3 ft.) while hovering. Even though it did not ask for it, I land and do a compass calibration, and each time it is rock steady in a hover afterwards. Could it be that my compass could be just a little off, but not enough to trigger the calibration warning?

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

As others have said, there is no reason to do a compass calibration unless it asks you to do it. Or, if you find it's pointing a little off in follow mode. Otherwise, it's locked in and not needed. This ain't no DJI. I love when I take off and am well into my flight while someone else with a Phantom is still on the ground doing a dance.

 

[Ian [P13]]

DJI copied the Solo in a number of ways for the P4, one was to finally put 2 magnetometer (compass) units into the copter, so it maybe the compass dance will eventually stop being a DJI thing too.

It's an admission though really, that for years the Phantom has been allowed to have this handicap and it will have been the root cause for at least some flyaways or malfunctions.

 

[PdxSteve]

So the solo is the first quad to use redundant mags?

 

[Ian [P13]]

I can't recall another RTF with redundancy, it's been a feature of Arducopter back to the APM, although I don't think it was supported in the software until more recently.